Really cool place that takes you back to the 1950s soda shop feel. We barely made it in, about 5 minutes before they closed so we just split a banana malt to go but it was so good. A lot of people were sitting inside at the little booths and it would be fun to come back sometime and eat an actual meal and a dessert. read more

Crown Candy Kitchen - Banana malt - Candy Stores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Have been coming here my entire life, 40 years. Awesome atmosphere. The service is always fast, nice, and accommodating. Get yourself a malt and bacon sandwich. Then, get another shake or malt to go (in a difference flavor of course), along with your chocolate bunny and caramels. Love CCK! read more

I grew up in St. Louis County and have lived in the area for nearly 60 years. I had heard about Crown Candy Kitchen many times over the years but had never managed to visit. We don't come into the city that often, so there are a lot of places I want to try and CCK has been near the top of my list for a long time. Plus, I had heard that they've gone through a few periods where it looked like they might have to close. Since it's a St. Louis icon, I figured I'd better hurry up and get there, just in case. I had heard so much about the Heartstopping BLT, that I knew that's what I would order. The BLT is definitely something to see. As I understand it, there are 14 slices of thick-sliced bacon on this thing, so it's like a pound of bacon on one sandwich. I get the novelty of it, but it's really kind of silly. You can't even fit it in your mouth, and the bacon is falling out of it the whole time you're trying to eat it. For this reason, there are pieces of bacon all over the place, including the floor of the bathroom when we were there. For a few years now I have been working on a travel guide for Route 66, and whenever the Route passes through a large city, I include entries for places that might not actually be directly on the Route but are worth a little side trip. Last week we were taking a road trip to Springfield, IL via Route 66, and we decided to have lunch at CCK on our way out of Missouri so I could include them in the book. I ordered the BLT without the L and T. I know, I'm strange, but I'm just not a person who wants salad on my sandwich. The sandwich was very good, although with that much bacon, it could have used more mayonnaise. My husband ordered his with the lettuce and tomatoes, and he said the ratio between the bacon and the lettuce and tomatoes wasn't great. It's just too much bacon. My sandwich was tasty enough, but the bread was nothing special. Just plain white bread. My son was smart. He ordered the turkey bacon melt, which he said was delicious. The BLT is basically a gimmick, and I probably wouldn't order it again. I also ordered a butterscotch shake, but they brought me vanilla. We were anxious to get started on our trip, and I could tell that they were busy, so I didn't bother to correct them. The vanilla shake was very tasty. I can't review the butterscotch shake, since that's not what they brought me. The decor is cute, full of vintage signs and memorabilia. The biggest problem is the neighborhood. As soon as you get close to the restaurant it becomes obvious that you are in a very bad part of town, and we didn't really feel particularly safe. Others have suggested that maybe they should relocate to a safer area, and I doubt we'd go back unless they do. If you're looking for a great vintage place for ice cream, I'd suggest The Fountain on Locust. It's in a better part of town, has a great food menu, and their ice cream is much better than CCK. The Fountain also has some of the best original cocktails in St. Louis. Crown Candy Kitchen may have once been a delightful place. Now I think it's kind of overrated. read more

Crown Candy Kitchen - Vanilla shake with the Heartstopping BLT, sans the L and T. - Candy Stores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Great hidden gem for a meal and dessert. Priced Extremely well for quantity and quality. read more

Crown Candy Kitchen - Dave and I being silly out front - Candy Stores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Adorable atmosphere and AMAZING staff! The food was incredibly fast which we loved! because we wanted to keep to our road-trip schedule. Bought some great candy. BE WARNED the BLT has enough bacon to feed a small family!!! We loved it. read more

I love this place! It's nothing fancy, just sandwiches, chips, amazing malted milkshakes and homemade chocolate confections. I went for a late lunch and tried the Rueben. It was a massive sandwich served with chips and a pickle spear. I had to take almost half of it home because it's such a big sammie. The real star of the show was the hot fudge milkshake I ordered. OMGEEEE!!!!! This shake is the real deal, it's a meal all by itself. They serve it in an old fashioned milkshake glass with a spoon and straw. The mixing cup is full and takes 3 pours to empty it. Bring your appetite. Service was friendly and pretty quick. I ordered a dreamsicle milkshake to go for my mom. She said it tasted like the old bumpop truck dreamsicle ice cream she used to get as a kid. I'll definitely be returning. read more

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We enjoyed a wonderful meal at Crown Candy Kitchen. Everyone was very nice. Service was excellent. 3 straight day I was there. Absolutely loved the turles and the Suday. read more

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Our food-oriented tour of St. Louis featured places having a historic connection to Route 66. Though off the beaten path, this hallowed St. Louis institution is worth the detour because ... well, it's a living museum! Open since 1913, it is now owned by the third generation of the Karandzieff family. Entering the quaint neighborhood soda fountain--the oldest in town--is like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting. The lines here are perpetually long for a reason. The menu features sundaes, sodas, etc. built atop a dozen flavors of rich homemade ice cream, but the sandwiches are not to be missed, either. Their flagship, the "Heart-Stopping BLT," goes whole hog. Literally. I'm still LOL! Chocoholics will be in heaven with Crown's chocolate chocolate chip ice cream, and also their homemade chocolates. During our afternoon visit, we enjoyed our treats on an attractive patio directly across the street. A friendly street musician added to the festive atmosphere. read more

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This place is straight out of 1950, but the BLT's are amazing! And to make it better, you can add turkey on top Next level delicious! If you leave here hungry , it's on you. Prices are reasonable, and the portions are large. The milkshakes and candy are literally the cherry on top. I know this place was on Man vs. Food a few years ago which made it very, but this is a STL staple and it's well worth the wait to get inside for a treat or meal. read more

I haven't been here in a couple of years and it seems to have lost something. While my BLT was loaded with bacon I kept thinking how it just didn't seem as good as it use to be and I'm not exactly sure why. Cute nostalgic shop? Check. Lively with patrons having fun? Check. A BLT loaded with bacon? Check. A super thick vanilla malt? Not so much, it was way to thin but super tasty. So why the two stars? I use to leave here with a big smile on my face but today's sandwich just seem meh, nothing exciting or special. Honestly it may be my last visit here it was that mundane. I even picked up a 1/4 OC white chocolate and it was only ok. read more

Crown Candy Kitchen - Candy Stores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Food service ambiance the 4 and not 5 stars is because I wish it was bigger inside otherwise 5 out of 5

I love this place. It's feels like you are walking back in time. (Candy and overall look of the place.) They follow COVID guidelines and make their customers as well. I always get the BLT! Everything on the menu is generously portioned, and enough to feed an army. Lol. I also recommend the heavenly hash! It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. read more

Crown Candy Kitchen - Heart Stopping Blt - Candy Stores Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

What an adorable place - like stepping back in time! (Way before my time!) The reason we came here was because we saw the Heart Stopping BLT in a Yelp picture, and my husband was set on this place. I wasn't very hungry, but ordered a turkey bacon melt. It was so addicting, I ate the whole thing. That was some fresh and tender turkey meat! My husband got the Heart Stopping BLT, obviously, and ate everything on his plate. I worry he will now have high cholesterol like me... I mean, that had to be 1 lb of bacon - or more. He loved it. We had no room for dessert. Our server was just okay. She wasn't overly friendly - just seemed to be doing her job. The man behind the counter, on the other hand, was so friendly, the word jovial comes to mind. This place is a MUST when visiting STL. When you're sick of the same old modern, gastropub food, good 'ol diner food will fill that void! read more

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The food is good and the ice cream sundae we had was delicious especially with the pecans. However, we sat in a booth next to two girls that made their lunch into a photo shoot. One girl brought her professional camera and must have snapped at least 20 mins worth of high speed flash photography of her friend with the flash constantly pointed in our face as we tried to eat. In a small restaurant like this you can't miss the constant flash and other customers were looking at the two girls mildly perturbed too. At one point the photographer was in the aisle sitting on the floor flashing away.. it's awful hard to eat when you're staring into the constant flash of multiple high speed pictures. Our son even said it was hurting his eyes. I was a bit disappointed as it took away from our experience and the management didn't seem to care even when we brought it up. I'm all about having fun and taking pictures but be mindful of others around you and maybe get your pictures quickly out of the way so that others can enjoy their experience too. read more

What a great place! A simple place with some big flavors and delicious food and sweets from the past. What's not to like here!! A century old diner, soda fountain, and chocolate shop. Everything is made in house, which just adds to the nostalgia of the restaurant. The milk shakes and malts are the things childhood dreams are made of. And the food, While it is a simple diner style American comfort food, don't let that fool you. It is every bit of delicious as it should be. The 1lb BLT is definitely going to make your heart skip a beat but will Be worth every bite!! It's simple style is what makes it delicious!! And save room to hit the candy counter. Personally I am fond of the chocolate covered cherries. Crown Candy will be here long into the future, but go there now in the present, to be a part of that history!! read more

Crown Candy "St. Louis' oldest soda fountain" is one of a kind in the heart of St.Louis, established in 1913. This place has an old school vibe located at the corner of 14th street and St. Louis Avenue, downtown. If it's your first time to this part of St. Louis, you might find the area to be a little sketchy. Don't let that deter you from checking this place out. You should be fine as long as your visit is during the day time. There is ample street parking near the restaurant. The staff are friendly and helpful. The booth were we sat in was deemed "cleaned" but we both had to wipe off our seats before sitting down to remove left over food remnants from the previous guests. The floors were very dirty and the customer seating areas just looked like it could use a good deep cleaning. The bar area where they make all of the drinks, malts, ice cream, etc. was very clean. Its an open area and we had a good view of the owner making our dessert, which was very cool to see. While the decor was very nostalgic, it could definitely use some sprucing up. The penny juke box on our table was not functional and needed to be repaired and cleaned. Food The Heart Stopping BLT was recommended so I gave it a try. It came with two slices of regular bread, nothing fancy. The inside was massive, loaded with tons of BACON. The portion was so huge that I split it with my wife and yet we had left overs. There was not a whole lot of flavor for the sandwich. It could have used more tomatoes, and maybe some spicy mayonnaise instead of the miracle whip which would have given it more flavor. The sandwich comes with chips, that are not homemade (Ruffles potato chips). It also came with a pickle spear. While the sandwich was very large it lacked in overall flavor. Desserts The desserts on the other hand is a whole another level. The Fire house special had the perfect mixture of nuts, real ice cream, chocolate sauce, and fruit. *loved it* The 24oz. Oreo milkshake was very creamy for my taste. The malt challenge is still on the menu if you want to give it a shot! Overall desserts were definitely the best part of our meal. They also have a variety of delicious candy and chocolates. We saw many locals come and order dessert to go and leave. In the future I would take a cue from them. If you are famished and have a sweet tooth definitely hit this joint. Location - 3/5 Cleanliness- 2/5 BLT - 3/5 Parking - 5/5 Staff attitude - 4/5 Fire chief special - 5/5 Oreo milkshake- 3/5 Decor/vibe - 5/5 read more

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This place has been around 100+ years for a reason. Fantastic Malts, great Tamales, and an obscene amount of bacon in the BLT. St Louis staple that I cannot recommend enough! This is authentic STL at its finest. Channel your inner-Guy Fieri and stop by this Triple D. read more

When traveling to St. Louis over the Summer there was a place that friends familiar with the city recommended as a must do. Crown Candy is a city landmark of sorts. After a visit you will see why you will in turn tell others they must go! Don't let anyone tell you the area is too shady. It is an older neighborhood with eclectic landscapes, will leave it at that. My visit during the day was uneventful in a good way. I felt safe. At night I'm not so sure to be honest since I'm a tourist any may get lost. Parking is all street surface on the curb. There was litter every where. A vacant lot a half block away where I parked needed mowed and had debris. The sidewalks and entry to the store for the most part tidy. I'm providing some flexibility to not be overly harsh. Featured on numerous shows including Food Network twice. Man vs. Food for their malt challenge of five 24 ounces in 30 minutes. Adam Richman failed in the 2009 episode. He returned again in 2012 for his "Best Sandwich in America" episode featuring their Heart Stopping BLT. Some how our group of eight got very lucky scoring two booths on a weekday afternoon around 5:30. Our female waitress was right on top of us and got waters and silverware. I just had to get the signature Heart Stopping BLT / thick sliced bacon, lettuce and tomato w/ Miracle Whip served on white toast w/ side of chips & pickle spear. Paired w/ a chocolate malt. Incredible! The rest of the group got various sandwiches, shakes and malts. The kids were disappointed that there are NO BURGERS on the menu. Everyone enjoyed what they had and that included picky younger kids. The grilled cheese was a big hit. Service was strong throughout the meal. Founded in 1913 and in its 3rd generation of the Karandzeiff family. The restaurant operates much like it did from the very beginning. A small menu of sandwiches, malts, shakes and candy. Crown Candy is one of the oldest surviving soda fountains in the country. I would without hesitation return and hope to be lucky enough to hear the music outside by a long time street musician. It most certainly is a St. Louis original and recommend. read more

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This is nostalgic at its very best!!! Such a great landmark with the coolest candies and ice cream ever. It's a great place to have an early date night! It's just a lovely place to treat yourself read more

The best BLT sandwich on planet Earth! And the caramel sundae with toasted pecans is also amazing! If you're in St. Louis Crown Candy should definitely be on your to-do list. Thank me later. read more

Best Reuben on the planet! Grilled cheese sandwich is in the top 10 too! Load of candy and chocolates, but the milkshakes are worth the wait. Anyone visiting St. Louis would be missing out if they didn't have lunch at Crown Candy. It's a St. Louis landmark! read more

Awesome sandwiches! We loved the Heart-stopping BLT. Ice cream desserts were also amazing. The sundae had thawed frozen strawberries, but the ice cream was good and the helping a were very generous. We got our food fast, and the staff were kind and quick. read more

This is the best BLT in the city! Ice cream/shakes are fabulous. I'm a dark chocolate fan, so I have to get candy to-go for dessert. Been coming here since I was a child. Never disappoints. read more

Came for the world famous BLT. Stayed for a malt and left with candy. A total carbfest for sure!! The BLT was amazing. I could have made two more regular BLTs with the bacon that fell out of my sandwich. Pro Tip: Don't put the half of the sandwich down after picking it up. Eat the entire half sandwich before taking a break and put your straw in your beverage and place it where you can easily lean over to get a swig. There is easily a pound (precooked weight) in each BLT. It's also cooked perfectly and not too salty with a nice chew instead of crumbly and hard. I'm certain that this place puts a serious dent in the pig population every year. The serious flaw here is the surly attitude of the counter guy who rudely told my husband to go back to the table and that he would send someone to get our candy order but never did. Our waitress, Denise, was a sweetheart and took great care of us. We had the ice cream for dessert because they make it in-house. Hubby had the hot fudge sundae and said it was awesome. I had a scoop of raspberry and a scoop of chocolate which were very good and not too sweet. The chocolate didn't have much chocolate flavor but the raspberry was excellent with great flavor and a hot fudge sundae with raspberry ice cream would be amazing. Since no one ever came to take our candy order we got it in the way out. It's a cute place and is a step back in time and totally authentic. Would we go again? No. The neighborhood is pure ghetto with trash all over the streets, moon crater size potholes, boarded up buildings along with burnt out and collapsed buildings. It looked like 1945 Germany and the sales tax on our meal was 15% which along with 20% tip to Denice added 35% to our meal. With the small candy purchase it was about $65 for two BLTs two drinks, two ice creams and 5 pieces of candy. I'm amazed the car wasn't stolen not to mention the 25 cents for 10 minutes parking meter costs. I don't know what the horribly run city of St Louis is doing with the huge meal taxes and parking fees but they sure as shit aren't spending it on any kind of road maintenance or garbage collection. Crown Candy has been there since 1919 so it probably wasn't a slum when they opened but I was really glad to have my duly permitted firearm with me. I'm sure that my grandparents and parents were able to come here unarmed but there is no way I would come here unarmed during the day and, after dark, not at all. Food: 4 stars Service from Denise: 5 stars Neighborhood: 0 stars. read more

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A step back in time and a fun nostalgic place overall. Famous BLT was very good and the sundae was good not great for me. Staff was super friendly and tables turned quickly. Bonus tip get the scotch oatmeal's when you leave, a solid treat when you leave. read more

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Crown Candy is a bit of a St. Louis landmark. I've had their candy for years, but today was the first time I stopped in for lunch. I placed a to-go order at the counter and waited outside on the bench for it to be ready. The staff was friendly and they quickly brought my food out to me. I ordered a BLT, and there's a reason this is the most expensive sandwich on the menu! It came with a huge amount of bacon on the sandwich; the sandwich came with chips and a pickle. I also ordered a chocolate malt, which was delicious. Overall, it was a good solid lunch. read more

This is a staple in St. Louis.. it is like visiting the Arch! Crown Candy is a great little spot. The only downside is trying to make sure a table is available for you! read more

The ice cream and desserts are wonderful but the food is so-so. I recommend eating somewhere else and coming here for dessert.

just went to this restaurant for the first time with my 88 ' year old mother had a great meal after a wait of 35 minutes chicken salad phenomenal and ice cream great too. however as we were leaving the matre de outside yelled to us as we were leaving and pulled me over to talk to some guy. the guy said that they were filming for a abc show called 'what would do' and wondered if we would sign some release to use that footage. i had never heard of that show. now that i'm home i pulled it off the internet and it looks like a bs punkd show to show people in a negative light. i had done nothing but a private conversation in there and therefore called crown candy to ask their management what that was all about. i thought hey they're going to use it in marketing what can be the harm? so a person by the name of Dennis answered and was very dismissive and said he was on his break and had sat down to eat and gave me a number to call. he said nothing, knew nothing except that he had to feed his face. very negative end to what should have been a nothing ending. does crown candy sanction this? read more

The chocolate malt is the go to, if you like blts then you have to order it. They put a pound of bacon on the sandwhich, which means left over blts at home for later. If your brave try the 5 malt challenge. read more

A St. Louis classic that is incredibly fun to visit. The milkshakes here are MASSIVE. As in, one is enough to share amongst 3-4 people. My friends and I made the mistake of ordering one each, and none of us even remotely came close to finishing. The taste was nice but the texture wasn't as smooth and creamy as I've had from other places. From what I remember of the food, it was pretty much standard diner stuff. If I come back, I would love to try the humongous BLT (and the actual candy they sell lol). read more

This is a treasure since 1913 in St. Louis that should not be missed, and it's even nicer since their recent renovation. You feel like you are walking into a Norman Rockwell painting, and soaking in the nostalgic signs is bound to fill your soul with joy. My father-in-law and I went for lunch and split the Reuben and the Chicken Salad sandwiches, and I got a Peach shake, a special flavor they had. Reuben was very good, and the Chicken Salad was good. Next time we go, I will probably go back to their staple BLT and try another sandwich of theirs. Oh, I also bought delicious chocolates for my daughters - they have a Crown Candy Hash that looks amazing but I stuck with malted milk balls, chocolate-covered caramels, and almond toffee. read more

First off, this place is very cool inside. It is literally like stepping back in time. It is quite remarkable, magical even. The blocks of houses as you are driving to the restaurant are extremely sad. That's entirely another social political commentary in itself. It's not good.. The area RIGHT by the restaurant is actually pretty nice. Some people may be uncomfortable, which.. They need to get over themselves and live. It's fine. After waiting while, I was able to get inside. I'm sure everyone has pointed this out, but to the right is seated tables. Go to the left for candy orders and take out. I really was prepared for smells of bacon, and other diner type foods as I approached and waited.. But they never came. It was more of a slight sweetness and candy smell, obviously.. But when you see those BLT's you have to wonder where all the smells are going.. Now, to my disappointment I ordered the BLT. I went with what I knew from watching Food Network about this place.. and I thought it was going to blow me away. It didn't. I had food remorse as soon as I tasted it.. I saw at neighboring tables a Ruben and what looked like an egg salad sandwich that was cheaper and looked better. The bacon was flavorless. There is a TON of it, but the flavor was ...not there. It has an almost cardboard texture to it. I added a touch of salt to it, and it did help (surprisingly enough, more salt right?). I also got a chocolate milk shake, that was very smooth, very rich and extremely delicious. It helped the BLT taste a lot better. Food, based on the BLT would be about 2 stars. With the milk shake and the actual interior makes it close to 5 stars. I really enjoyed the space and feeling, but the sandwich I had was not great. Of course, this is based off of one visit, and one sandwich.. So I'm sure there are better options on the menu. If you are in the area, by all means go. Just look at other's plates and ask before you order. read more

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Of course that nailed it! Great Reuben and Awesome Egg Salad sandwich. But don't forget those Malts!

After driving an hour to get there, we were treated so badly before we even got into the place, we will NEVER go back! Here's what happened, the entrance is on the corner of the place, we parked on one side, couldn't see the other side. A woman kept yelling at us repeatedly what we were getting, I told her shakes and candy so she said to stand in the line we were in. We stood there for 20 minutes and someone said it was the carry out line. I asked the woman if we can sit inside while having our shakes and she shouts at me, "No, you may not!" In a very rude tone. Apparently, there was another line on the other side for dining in that we didn't see and she didn't tell us about. We got back in our vehicle after and I called to complain, turns out she's the owner. I will not go back! Worst I have ever been treated at a business. My grandson wondered why she was mad at us when we didn't do anything wrong. read more

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Horrible! Tried the BLT. Absolutely disgusting mess! The quality of the ingredients are subpar, and lack quality. I wouldn't recommend going to this place. It's poorly lit, and seems as though there is a lack of maintenance. read more

The food, the candy, the atmosphere. I look forward to visits here particularly during warm Summer months.

Delicious ice cream and milk shakes but for bacon lovers there is a special treat a one pound bacon sandwich'BLT' worth sharing the love. So make it a date or bring the whole crew you won't be disappointed!!! read more

A bacon lover's dream! BLT is their signature sandwich, and a "must have" if you stop to eat here. Served on white bread with mayo, lettuce and tomato, it probably had a POUND of bacon on each sandwich, yum!! Good luck fitting the sandwich in your mouth LOL! Plenty of other good things to order including their handcrafted fresh shakes, chocolate banana was our choice. Recommend ordering 1 shake to share with 2 people, as they give you the entire shake container which pours into at least 3+ servings. Also had a bowl of chili to share, NO beans in their recipe which suits me fine - add fresh onions and cheese for extra flavor. Finally, they make their own chocolates, so check them out if you want something to go...besides your doggy bag if you can't finish the BLT. This has been a St. Louis restaurant since 1913! Nothing fancy about the ambience, but service is friendly and fast. Beware it only has about 14 tables, so suggest arriving when they open, or expect a wait, especially if you're more than 2 people. Enjoy! read more

A definitely must visit place!!!! The line and wait might be long but it's worth it. I had a Ruben and my family had the heart stopper BLT! The Ruben was amazing! Everything you could ask for; amazing flavor and the best one I've had so far! The BLT is a pound of bacon and a heart attack ready to happen! Great flavor. I also had a side of chili and it was great! If you're looking for something sweet too they have a candy shop inside with homemade chocolate pieces. read more

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